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A robot controlled by iPad bridges the gap between distant specialists and their patients. The RP-VITA from iRobot and InTouch Health received U.S. approval to be used in patient settings in January. An LCD screen allows face-to-face interactions, and the robot can roam hospital corridors on its own or be guided as necessary, in either case using sensory inputs to avoid collisions.

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An FDA-approved InTouch RP-VITA model robot named Bentley will be introduced by Cornerstone Hospital Medical Center on Thursday as part of its Telemedicine ICU Program. The goal is to use the robotic doctor to assist with the identification and care of people who need immediate interventions.

A telemedicine robot known as the RP-VITA was put to work in seven North American hospitals earlier this year, and its reception in hospitals might indicate whether more robots will be entering workplaces in the future. Telerobotics that can survive the frantic pace of a health care facility could easily cope with an office or manufacturing environment, experts say.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a telepresence robot that physicians can use to monitor patients thousands of miles away. The RP-VITA robot uses technology developed by iRobot, and would require physicians to use an application on their iPad tablet computers to control the devices.

InTouch Health has been cleared by the FDA to market the RP-VITA robot, which the company developed in collaboration with iRobot. The technology, which combines iRobot's mobility and autonomous navigation tool with InTouch Health's telemedicine system, is designed to provide doctors with remote access to acute care patients.

IRobot is collaborating with InTouch to launch the Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant platform that will enable physicians to remotely check on patients. The RP-VITA, which is equipped with an electronic stethoscope, can also be used to access patient records and diagnostic tools such as ultrasound machines.